Thank You
by Kiddo20
Summary: After a wonderful life, Iruka Umino has passed away. His first steps into the after life come up short when he is immediately stopped by a couple for a conversation. "Don't thank me for anything I did. It was my honor."


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, the filler would end and they would just get on with the war.

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Thank You

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Iruka Umino left this world with no regrets.

He had led a good life. A fulfilling life. He had helped foster the generation of shinobi that not only saved Konoha, but really, the entire world. He'd settled down eventually with a nice civilian woman, and had a pair of little girls, one of whom grew to become a ninja and the other a writer for one of Konoha's newspapers. He'd held squealing grandchildren and continued to spread his will of fire.

And he'd forever remained a confidant, advisor and older brother to one of the longest serving and most beloved Hokages in Konoha's history. Naruto Uzumaki, a man who was respected across the continent, had continued to seek out his Iruka-sensei throughout their lives, and brought a little bit of cheer and sunshine with him, even paying for the ramen himself after he became Hokage.

Iruka smiled fully and took a deep breath and was gone, surrounded by family and friends and the memories of a life wonderfully lived.

Learning that there was something more, something beyond their lives on earth, had been exciting to Iruka. He wanted to seek out his parents, to tell them about their grandchildren and great-grandchildren and of a rambunctious little blonde student that Iruka had once had who had built a home inside of Iruka's heart.

But as he searched for them he found himself suddenly slammed into from the side, red hair flying about and obscuring his vision. Strong arms wrapped around his aged ones and hugged him so tight.

"Thank you." A heartfelt whisper escaped to his ears.

"Kushina…" a calm voice called out to the woman who held him so tight. Iruka's eyes drifted up from his captor to a man that Iruka would recognize anywhere.

"I don't think I ever got used to how much Naruto looked like you…" Iruka spoke calmly, suddenly understanding the situation and just what was going on.

The Yondaime's mouth tugged into a smile, crinkling the corners of those bright blue eyes that were so like the ones that peered out of his favorite student's face.

The grip around his middle loosened and the red-head moved back. Tears glistened in her eyes, set in a face that shared the same structure as Naruto's.

She wiped at an errant tear with an embarrassed smile.

"Or knew how much he looked like you…" Iruka added as the former Hokage wrapped an arm around his wife.

"We wanted to meet the man who was there for our son when we couldn't be." There was a gratitude so deep that Iruka shuddered at the strength of it as Naruto's mother explained herself.

Iruka swallowed against a lump in his throat, idly wondering how he even had a throat to swallow with now that he was dead, and shook his head.

"Don't thank me for anything I did. It was my honor." Iruka smiled, thoughts of ramen nights with Naruto and classes trying to get information into Naruto's often thick head, introducing his children years later to their "Uncle Naruto" and the boy returning the favor years later.

"I love my little brother. I would have done anything for him."

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Yes, that ending is supposed to just hang there. Let me know what you all think!

A/N: I have received several PMs in recent months asking me where exactly I've been…well…that's a hard thing to answer. I was dealing with several medical issues, in addition to moving (and not like across town…I picked up and moved continents…complicated…), and picking up not just one new job but two…so…yeah.

Long story short, life has gotten in the way of writing. BUT, I would most definitely love to get back on things. I was fairly far on the next 'A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words' story when it all trailed off and I'm editing what I had written now before I continue on with it. It is on the radar and I am working on it guys!

This is just a little exercise to get the juices flowing again and get me back in the swing of things – and it's something that's been my own little head canon from almost the first episode…


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